Black bears, thought to be solitary, have a different type of social behavior that possibly parallels early human behavior. They show evidence of reciprocal altruism, food sharing, and early group formation of unrelated individuals. Bears can live for as many as forty years, which allows them long-term benefits from forming relationships with fellow cooperators. Ben Kilham is a wildlife biologist based in Lyme, New Hampshire. He will be in the East Room April 29 at 7 p.m. to present “The Social Black Bear: What Bears Have Taught Me About Being Human.” He and his wife Debra have accepted orphaned bear cubs into their home and enabled them to successfully return to the wild. Ben has been the focus of several news articles and documentaries, including National Geographic’s “A Man Among Bears” and Animal Planet’s “Papa Bear.” He is also co-author of the book Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild. The program is sponsored by the Animal Welfare and Appreciation Club, the Biology Department, and the GMC Speakers Bureau.